Rajnath Skips SCO Note Over Terror Silence

"On our side, India wanted concerns on terrorism reflected in the document, which was not acceptable to one particular country, and therefore the statement was not adopted," said ministry of external affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal at the weekly media briefing.

According to sources, while the joint document did not mention the Pahalgam terror attack, China and Pakistan wanted to include in it the Jaffar Express attack in Balochistan province of Pakistan. Pakistan also attempted to include the Balochistan and Pahalgam terror attacks together in the joint document, which was not acceptable to India.

China is the current chair of the SCO and calls Pakistan its "iron-clad friend". The SCO operates under the framework of consensus. Mr Singh's refusal to endorse the document resulted in the SCO defence ministers' conclave in the Chinese port city ending without a joint communiqué.

At the SCO defence ministers’ meeting, Mr Singh launched a frontal attack on Pakistan and called for united global action against terrorism, radicalisation and extremism, citing them as the biggest threats to regional peace and trust.

Referring to the heinous Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 civilians, Mr Singh said India exercised its right to self-defence through Operation Sindoor to dismantle cross-border terror infrastructure. He urged SCO nations to reject double standards and hold terror sponsors accountable. "Epicentres of terrorism are no longer safe," he declared, reaffirming India’s zero-tolerance policy.

"We reiterate the need to hold the perpetrators, organisers, financiers and sponsors of reprehensible acts of terrorism, including cross-border terrorism, accountable and bring them to justice. Any acts of terrorism are criminal and unjustifiable regardless of their motivation, whenever, wherever and by whomever committed. SCO members must condemn this evil unequivocally," said Mr Singh.

The defence minister said that India’s zero tolerance for terrorism is manifest today through its actions. "This includes our right to defend ourselves against terrorism. We have shown that epicentres of terrorism are no longer safe and we will not hesitate to target them," he said.

Mr Singh said that it is imperative that those who sponsor, nurture and utilise terrorism for their narrow and selfish ends must bear the consequences. "Some countries use cross-border terrorism as an instrument of policy and provide shelter to terrorists."

The defence minister said that on April 22, the terror group The Resistance Front (TRF) carried out a dastardly and heinous attack on innocent tourists at Pahalgam in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir. "Victims were shot at after they were profiled based on religious identity. The Resistance Front, which is a proxy of the UN-designated terror group Lashkar-e-Tayyaba (LeT), claimed responsibility for the attack. The pattern of the Pahalgam terror attack matches with LeT’s previous terror attacks in India," he said.

Mr Singh said that there is a need to counter the technology used by terrorists, including drones for cross-border smuggling of weapons and drugs. "In our interconnected world, traditional borders are no longer the sole barriers against threats. Instead, we face an intricate web of challenges that range from transnational terrorism and cyber-attacks to hybrid warfare," he said.

Mr Singh said that these threats do not respect national boundaries, and they demand a unified response rooted in transparency, mutual trust, and collaboration. "India reaffirms its resolve to fight terrorism in all its forms and manifestations," he said.

"We should also take proactive steps to prevent the spread of radicalisation among our youth," Ms Singh said, adding that peace and prosperity cannot co-exist with terrorism and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction in the hands of non-state actors and terror groups.

"Dealing with these challenges requires decisive action and we must unite in our fight against these evils for our collective safety and security," the defence minister said.

"I believe that the biggest challenges that we are facing in our region are related to peace, security and trust deficit. And the root cause of these problems is increasing radicalisation, extremism and terrorism," said Mr Singh.

Mr Singh added that India has been consistent and steadfast in its policy in support of peace, security and stability in Afghanistan. He enumerated the immediate priorities in Afghanistan, including providing humanitarian assistance to its people and contributing to overall developmental needs. As Afghanistan’s largest regional development partner, India continues to implement capacity-building initiatives for the Afghan people, he said.

On the sidelines of the SCO meeting, the defence minister also held talks with Russian defence minister Andrey Belousov. Russia assured India that it will deliver the fourth air-defence missile system S-400 in 2026 and the last one in 2027.